Glyne Gap restaurants plan submitted to council

Plans to build two restaurants and a car park on Glyne Gap have been submitted to the council.

The Restaurant Group (TRG) wants to build a Frankie & Benny’s and a Chiquito on the field next to the roundabout.

There would also be 112 car-parking spaces and a 10m ‘buffer’ of landscaping around the development which it is claimed would generate more than £2m annually and create 141 jobs.

The application was submitted to Rother District Council on March 30, with the planning committee due to discuss it on May 26, not Wednesday (April 20).

The planning statement says: “The two restaurants will be occupied by Frankie & Benny’s and Chiquito and will effectively form an extension to the existing retail and leisure park.

“It is felt that the two restaurants will work positively alongside each other to meet different dining habits, as it is generally found that Frankie & Benny’s is more popular in the day, and Chiquito is considered to be more of an early evening destination.”

No objections have been made so far but when TRG sent out leaflets to residents, five out of 19 respondents opposed the plans and 10 stated their concerns.

These included the impact on the already busy A259 around Ravenside Retail Park, the need for more food outlets and the possibility of setting a precedent for further development of Glyne Gap.

TRG’s transport statement claims the development would not cause congestion as people would be visiting the restaurants outside of peak driving times.

“The council is supportive of the restaurants coming to the area but has raised issues with the applicants over the specific location proposed,” a Rother spokesman said.

“We have advised the applicants that we are willing to work with them to pursue alternative site options and that remains the case.

“A decision on this application is not expected to be made by the council until the Planning Committee meeting on Thursday, May 26 (not Wednesday April 20, as quoted in the article), when members of the committee will consider the application in detail and reach a decision taking into account relevant planning policies and other considerations.

“Any resident, interested person or organisation wishing to comment on this application still has plenty of time to do so.

Five other locations in Bexhill were considered for the development – including off the link road, The Colonnade and former Bexhill High School – but chose Glyne Gap for its transport links and locality to Hastings.

The site is part of the Combe Valley Countryside Park but the planning statement says it will screen the retail park from the field and an ‘enhanced green edge’ thanks to the green roofs of the single-storey restaurants and landscaped ‘buffer’.

Also it is claimed there is scope for development in the space within the notional building line of the petrol station.

TRG claims 22 full-time workers will be employed for the construction phase, before 69 people are hired on-site once its finished which will create 50 net jobs.

This article has been updated.

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